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SPEED
DENTISTRY
Fast Is Better — Up to a Point
– ARTICLE by Ellis J. Neiburger, DDS
This article will explore the concept of “speed
dentistry,” the practice of doing dental treatments
faster and better. In today’s world, just about
everyone wants things to go faster. This need for
speed extends to many aspects of our lives, including travel,
food, data transmission and services. Time is money, and
slower times cost more money. Many modern businesses
pride themselves on — even advertise — their ability to do
things rapidly and do them “right.” Be it a fast haircut, fast
cost analysis, fast trades or fast dental care, society wants —
even demands — rapid service and high quality. If a
procedure takes less time, the individual has to spend less
time on that project. Any extra time gained can then be used
for doing something else, usually something considered
“more important.” We have all experienced the anguish of
slow food service or post office lines where the operations
are done at a snail’s pace. This can be frustrating and costly,
and dentistry is no exception.
Even before they are seated in the dental chair, patients do
not want to wait. They don’t like spending long minutes with
their mouths open or in uncomfortable situations. Having
an uncomfortable procedure done is more tolerable when
done with speed rather than lethargy. There is no patient
who would rather have a tooth extraction done slowly than
with the utmost speed. Our patients expect speed, comfort
and convenience. They will flock to dentists who provide
these things and shun those who don’t.
TAUGHT TO BE SLOW
Dentists have routinely been associated with slow
procedures. This is in part because a patient experiencing
an emotionally charged procedure (e.g., extraction) is under
stress and experiencing pain or discomfort — physically
and psychologically — so time seems to go slower for the
patient than it would if he were experiencing something
enjoyable. Consequently, the generally held perception is
that dentistry goes slowly.
Modern dentistry, as done by many dentists and their staff,
is often practiced slowly; that is, more slowly than it needs
to be. For example, Dr. Slow is doing an occlusal amalgam.
The dentist slowly sits down, chats a bit with the patient,
then slowly puts on some gloves, slowly adjusts the fit,
then looks at the bracket table, slowly selects a mirror and
explorer, and then slowly focuses on the anxious patient’s
mouth. He then looks at the record, slowly adjusts the chair
Speed Dentistry: Fast Is Better — Up to a Point55